Grand Adventure in Seattle: Grand Hyatt Review

Luxury and convenience are the hallmarks of the Grand Hyatt Seattle, a five star hotel for business travelers or tourists. The elegant and well situated hotel has everything you need for a city based adventure. And it’s just a block from the light rail to the airport, a quick and cheap way to get in and out of town.

Up the hill or down?

If you are going to Seattle, Washington for the first time, you’ll want to head down to Pike Place Market and The Seattle Great Wheel. But if you have been to the city before, you might want to check out the hip restaurants and bars of Capital Hill, along with the museums, kayaks and restaurants around South Lake Union.

Last time I was in Seattle, I stayed at the Hyatt at Olive 8, a LEED certified hotel convenient to all. I lusted after the luxurious Grand Hyatt Seattle, a five star hotel a block away, and this time, we booked a couple of nights there. We were thrilled with the service and luxury.

The room

Our king corner suite had a sitting room with a pull-out couch and a separate snug bedroom down the hall with an extremely comfortable king-sized bed.

Electronic blackout shades, operated by a wall switch, were a welcome touch. We opened the window and turned off the air conditioning, feeling that we fit into the environmentally correct Seattle scene that way. With daytime temperatures in the 70s during our stay, and nighttime in the 50s, it was perfect to have fresh air.

Our granite and marble bathroom had super soft robes, bath products by June Jacobs and a soaking tub with separate glass shower. The hotel treated me to a bath butler offering: bath salts, a scrub and special lotion; my feet appreciated it after an 11 mile run.

Instead of just the usual shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, the bathroom was stocked with lip balm, toothpaste and mouthwash, and packets of Woolite and nail polish remover. I felt the Grand Hyatt anticipated my every need.

There is also a coffee maker in every room, and a mini fridge.

If you are an allergy sufferer, the hotel offers Pure hypo-allergenic rooms that are specially cleaned and purified, for an extra fee.

Amenities

The Grand Hyatt has an excellent gym, Stay Fit, with plenty of state-of-the-art cardio machines, free weights, space to stretch and stability balls. There are headphones if you forgot, and chilled towels. There are also weight benches, strength machines and mirrors so you can keep an eye on your form. If you like to run, the front desk has running maps.

There is a large, coed hot tub, along with a steam room and sauna, all impeccably clean.

Dining

The Grand Hyatt has an attached Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a Starbucks, take-out at the NYC Deli Market and Blue C Sushi, a great spot for kids; there’s a conveyor belt and you take off the appealing looking sushi as it goes by. And once you leave the hotel, there is every kind of restaurant imaginable.

We had access to the Club Lounge, a great perk for families. The breakfast included several types of cold cereal and oatmeal, with a variety of milks: skim, 2 %, whole or soy. There are bagels, sliced bread, smoked salmon and Greek yogurt. There is also plenty of fruit: whole bananas, apples and oranges, which are available throughout the day, and cut up berries, pineapple and melon. There was also cheese, hard boiled eggs, croissants, muffins, and two kinds of quiche, one of which was a tasty vegetarian variety.

Lots of choices for breakfast in the Club lounge. Credit: Judy Antell / Vegetarian TravelingMom

During the day, the lounge is open, with cold drinks, fruit and homemade granola bars; from 5-8pm, you can get appetizers, which include crudite, roasted vegetables, cheese and crackers and a couple of hot hors d’oeuvres. This is a great perk for families; you can let the kids stave off starvation before heading out to dinner.

The only thing it didn’t have was dessert, but if you are trying to limit your kids’ (or your own) sugar intake, this could be a positive omission. Also, drinks are not included, but are inexpensive – local beer or wine for $4, cocktails for $6.

About The Author

Judy Antell is the Free in 50 States editor of TravelingMom.
Judy lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and three daughters. The vegetarian family loves to visit the farmer’s market for local, organic produce. They have bicycled in Europe, skied downhill and cross country across the US, and hit the beaches all over the Caribbean. They visit cities and small towns around the country, always seeking vegetarian food – and chocolate. Read her blog, http://wheelsandeats.blogspot.com